In what could be his final Olympic appearance, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge withdrew from Saturday’s men’s marathon around the 31km mark.

Today’s race was his opportunity to make history as the first man to win the Olympic marathon three times in a career.

As Kipchoge approached Versailles and began his return toward Paris, he found himself more than a minute behind the lead pack, outside the top 50 runners. The stretch from 25km to 30km, with its steep hills between Chaville and Meudon, was especially grueling. Kipchoge covered it in just over 21 minutes, leaving him more than 8 minutes adrift of the leaders. Though victory was out of reach, he pressed on, driven by the energy of the Olympic crowd and his unyielding spirit.

Kipchoge previously claimed Olympic marathon gold in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021.

Win or lose, Kipchoge’s remarkable career has already cemented his legacy as the G.O.A.T. of distance running. He’s twice shattered the world record at the Berlin Marathon and made history in 2019 by becoming the first man to break the 2-hour barrier in a marathon, albeit in a non-record-eligible event in Vienna.